The number of maternal deaths and maternal mortality rates for selected causes, 2000 to most recent year.

Maternal mortality rates can vary significantly around the world. For example, in 2022, Estonia had a maternal mortality rate of zero per 100,000 live births, while Mexico reported a rate of 38 deaths per 100,000 live births. However, the regions with the highest number of maternal deaths are Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, with differences between countries and regions often reflecting inequalities in health care services and access. Most causes of maternal mortality are preventable and treatable with the most common causes including severe bleeding, infections, complications during delivery, high blood pressure during pregnancy, and unsafe abortion. Maternal mortality in the United States In 2022, there were a total of 817 maternal deaths in the United States. Women aged 25 to 39 years accounted for 578 of these deaths, however, rates of maternal mortality are much higher among women aged 40 years and older. In 2022, the rate of maternal mortality among women aged 40 years and older in the U.S. was 87 per 100,000 live births, compared to a rate of 21 among women aged 25 to 39 years. The rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. has risen in recent years among all age groups. Differences in maternal mortality in the U.S. by race/ethnicity Sadly, there are great disparities in maternal mortality in the United States among different races and ethnicities. In 2022, the rate of maternal mortality among non-Hispanic white women was about 19 per 100,000 live births, while non-Hispanic Black women died from maternal causes at a rate of almost 50 per 100,000 live births. Rates of maternal mortality have risen for white and Hispanic women in recent years, but Black women have by far seen the largest increase in maternal mortality. In 2022, around 253 Black women died from maternal causes in the United States.

Statistics on maternal mortality are produced based on the database of causes of death. "Maternal deaths" are selected from the database via a complex procedure, which takes into account the definition given by the WHO and is described in detail in the metadata. The tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) defines maternal death as "the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes." "Maternal deaths should be subdivided into two groups. Direct obstetric deaths: those resulting from obstetric complications of the pregnant state (pregnancy, labour and puerperium), from interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment, or from a chain of events resulting from any of the above. Indirect obstetric deaths: those resulting from previous existing disease or disease that developed during pregnancy and which was not due to direct obstetric causes, but which was aggravated by physiologic effects of pregnancy." Furthermore, the ICD-10 also defines late maternal death as "the death of a woman from direct or indirect obstetric causes more than 42 days but less than one year after termination of pregnancy." The "maternal mortality rate" is the ratio between the number of recorded direct and indirect maternal deaths over one year and the number of live birth in the same year, expressed per 100,000 live births. Late maternal deaths are not taken into account in the calculation of this ratio. Given the small and markedly variable number of cases recorded each year in Belgium, it has been decided to calculate this ratio based on the cumulated maternal deaths and live births of five consecutive years, with the ratio calculated being recorded in the middle year. When identifying these maternal deaths, the ad hoc working group, bringing together the Belgian statistical office and all data producing federated entities, did not exclude the risk of an underestimation of these deaths, based on the only statistical bulletin used as main source. It therefore asks for continued efforts to further improve the follow-up of maternal deaths, and supports the recent initiative of the College of physicians for Mother and Newborn to consider the creation of a maternal mortality register.

Context

The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is a crucial indicator within the Gender Inequality Index (GII), an encompassing measure designed to assess gender disparities and inequities within a society. The GII, an extension of the Human Development Index (HDI), focuses on three primary dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and economic activity. Reproductive health, one of the key dimensions, sheds light on the challenges faced by individuals based on their gender. Within this context, the Maternal Mortality Ratio specifically gauges the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, providing insight into the disparities in health outcomes experienced by women. This indicator reflects the state of maternal health and underscores the importance of addressing reproductive rights to mitigate gender inequalities.

Content

This dataset encompasses extensive historical information regarding gender development indicators on a global scale. Key columns include ISO3 (the ISO3 code assigned to each country/territory), Country (the name of the country or territory), Continent (the continent of the country's location), Hemisphere (the hemisphere in which the country is positioned), Human Development Groups, UNDP Developing Regions, HDI Rank (2021) representing the Human Development Index Rank for the year 2021, and Maternal Mortality Ratio (deaths per 100,000 live births) spanning from 1990 to 2021.

Dataset Glossary (Column-wise)

• ISO3 - ISO3 for the Country/Territory
• Country - Name of the Country/Territory
• Continent - Name of the Continent
• Hemisphere - Name of the Hemisphere
• Human Development Groups - Human Development Groups
• UNDP Developing Regions - UNDP Developing Regions
• HDI Rank (2021) - Human Development Index Rank for 2021
• Maternal Mortality Ratio (deaths per 100,000 live births) from 1990 to 2021 - Maternal Mortality Ratio from 1990 to 2021

Data Dictionary

• UNDP Developing Regions:
  • SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa
  • LAC - Latin America and the Caribbean
  • EAP - East Asia and the Pacific
  • AS - Arab States
  • ECA - Europe and Central Asia
  • SA - South Asia

Structure of the Dataset

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Acknowledgement

This Dataset is created from Human Development Reports. This Dataset falls under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 IGO License. You can check the Terms of Use of this Data. If you want to learn more, visit the Website.

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Women 40 years and over have the highest rates of maternal mortality in the United States. In 2023, the rate of maternal mortality among this age group was around 60 per 100,000 live births. This statistic presents maternal mortality rates in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by age group.

This data presents national-level provisional maternal mortality rates based on a current flow of mortality and natality data in the National Vital Statistics System. Provisional rates which are an early estimate of the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, are shown as of the date specified and may not include all deaths and births that occurred during a given time period (see Technical Notes). A maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes. In this data visualization, maternal deaths are those deaths with an underlying cause of death assigned to International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code numbers A34, O00–O95, and O98–O99. The provisional data include reported 12 month-ending provisional maternal mortality rates overall, by age, and by race and Hispanic origin. Provisional maternal mortality rates presented in this data visualization are for “12-month ending periods,” defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births occurring in the 12-month period ending in the month indicated. For example, the 12-month ending period in June 2020 would include deaths and births occurring from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. Evaluation of trends over time should compare estimates from year to year (June 2020 and June 2021), rather than month to month, to avoid overlapping time periods. In the visualization and in the accompanying data file, rates based on death counts less than 20 are suppressed in accordance with current NCHS standards of reliability for rates. Death counts between 1-9 in the data file are suppressed in accordance with National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) confidentiality standards. Provisional data presented on this page will be updated on a quarterly basis as additional records are received. Previously released estimates are revised to include data and record updates received since the previous release. As a result, the reliability of estimates for a 12-month period ending with a specific month will improve with each quarterly release and estimates for previous time periods may change as new data and updates are received.

In 2023, non-Hispanic Black women had the highest rates of maternal mortality among select races/ethnicities in the United States, with 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. The total maternal mortality rate in the U.S. at that time was 18.6 per 100,000 live births, a decrease from a rate of almost 33 in 2021. This statistic presents the maternal mortality rates in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by race and ethnicity.

United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 14.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 14.000 Ratio for 2014. United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 13.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 11.000 Ratio in 1998. United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

Maternal mortality ratio is defined as the number of female deaths due to obstetric causes (ICD-10 codes: A34, O00-O95, O98-O99) while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The maternal mortality ratio indicates the likelihood of a pregnant person dying of obstetric causes. It is calculated by dividing the number of deaths among birthing people attributable to obstetric causes in a calendar year by the number of live births registered for the same period and is presented as a rate per 100,000 live births. The number of live births used in the denominator approximates the population of pregnant and birthing people who are at risk. Data are not presented for geographies with number of maternal deaths less than 11.Compared to other high-income countries, women in the US are more likely to die from childbirth or problems related to pregnancy. In addition, there are persistent disparities by race and ethnicity, with Black pregnant persons experiencing a much higher rate of maternal mortality compared to White pregnant persons. Improving the quality of medical care for pregnant individuals before, during, and after pregnancy can help reduce maternal deaths.For more information about the Community Health Profiles Data Initiative, please see the initiative homepage.

This report presents maternal mortality rates for 2020 based on data from the National Vital Statistics System. A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as, “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes” (1). Maternal mortality rates, which are the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, are shown in this report by age group and race and Hispanic origin.

The dataset contains year and state wise Maternal Mortality Ratio

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

Note: Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is derived as the proportion of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births reported under the SRS.

The average for 2020 based on 41 countries was 9 deaths per 100,000 births. The highest value was in Cyprus: 68 deaths per 100,000 births and the lowest value was in Belarus: 1 deaths per 100,000 births. The indicator is available from 2000 to 2020. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This dataset provides comprehensive information on maternal mortality rates across different countries and regions from 1751 to 2020. It offers researchers, policymakers, and health professionals a valuable resource for analyzing long-term trends in maternal health, evaluating the effectiveness of healthcare interventions, and identifying areas for improvement in maternal care worldwide.

Key features of this dataset include:

• Historical data spanning over 250 years
• Coverage of multiple countries and regions
• Annual maternal mortality ratio estimates
• Consistent methodology for cross-country comparisons
• Data from reputable international organizations

This dataset is ideal for:

• Analyzing long-term trends in maternal health
• Comparing maternal mortality rates across different countries and regions
• Evaluating the impact of healthcare policies and interventions
• Developing predictive models for maternal health outcomes
• Creating visualizations to communicate global maternal health trends

Whether you're a public health researcher, data scientist, or policymaker, this dataset offers crucial insights into the progress and challenges in reducing maternal mortality worldwide.

Maternal mortality rate number of maternal deaths within one year / total live births within one year 100,000

Japan JP: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 5.000 Ratio in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.000 Ratio for 2014. Japan JP: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 8.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.000 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 5.000 Ratio in 2015. Japan JP: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

This statistic shows the maternal mortality rate in China from 2005 to 2022. In 2022, the maternal mortality rate in China per 100,000 live births ranged at about ****.

Germany DE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 4.000 Ratio in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 4.000 Ratio for 2022. Germany DE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 6.000 Ratio from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2023, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.000 Ratio in 1986 and a record low of 4.000 Ratio in 2023. Germany DE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).;WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and UNDESA/Population Division. Trends in maternal mortality estimates 2000 to 2023. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2025;Weighted average;This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator (3.1.1) for monitoring maternal health.

This project provides the revised birth estimates, infant mortality rates, and maternal mortality rates at the state- and national-level and by race.

Maternal mortality ratio of Ghana declined by 2.09% from 239.0 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 to 234.0 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023. Since the 4.35% growth in 2021, maternal mortality ratio slumped by 11.36% in 2023. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth, per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on fertility, birth attendants, and HIV prevalence.

Canada CA: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 12.000 Ratio in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.000 Ratio for 2022. Canada CA: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 10.000 Ratio from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2023, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.000 Ratio in 2020 and a record low of 7.000 Ratio in 1990. Canada CA: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Canada – Table CA.World Bank.WDI: Social: Health Statistics. Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).;WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and UNDESA/Population Division. Trends in maternal mortality estimates 2000 to 2023. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2025;Weighted average;This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator (3.1.1) for monitoring maternal health.